Welcome home, Space Shuttle Endeavour!

Space Shuttle Endeavour came home to California today, and we were able to join the festivities. Endeavour, like all the orbiters, was born in Palmdale, California. Endeavour is the “baby” of the now-retired fleet, first flying 20 years ago.

One of NASA’s specially modified 747 airliners gave Endeavour a high-speed piggyback. Amazingly, only 7 bolts hold the orbiter to the airliner. On Friday the 747 will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where it will stay until mid October. At that point it will be towed through the streets of LA to its final home at the California Science Center.

Endeavour actually did a “fly by” yesterday of the Capitol here in Austin (TX). People were really excited. Perhaps NASA should have done more stuff like that in the past and there would still be a shuttle program here in the U.S. Anyway, it was awesome. Go Endeavour!